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Welcome to the 2016 Season

04/08/2016, 5:30pm BST

By Stanton & Peter

Opening Day is finally here and there is excitement in the air.

LondonSports Baseball and Softball - 2016

Dear Players, Parents, Coaches & Friends of the Scrubs,

On behalf of our Trustees, Commissioners and Sponsors, PT and I wanted to welcome you to the 30th Annual Season of Baseball and Softball at the Scrubs. Opening Day is finally here and there is excitement in the air.

Team Commish accomplished quite a bit in the off-season and we used the “time off” to finalize our status as a Registered Charity – which was a huge project, a great accomplishment and an important step for the future of LondonSports.Our organization is now the largest baseball and softball charity in the UK. Thank you to everybody who was involved.The efforts were heroic.

Away from completing the charity registration, all of us at LS spent significant time focusing our attention and resources on raising the bar for baseball and softball in the UK. We planned, developed and executed a spring training program that was so well received that Coach Gerry has already invited the coach’s from Elite, in Chicago, and from BSUK and Team GB back for next year’s spring training sessions for baseball & softball. PB and Terry spent time analyzing our current infrastructure and field assignments which we have now re-configured to make more accessible/user friendly for our younger players. We upgraded much of our equipment and on-field training tools which will enhance player and coach’s development. We recruited new commissioners, solidified partnerships with new sponsors (thank you Caffè Nero), opened a new bank (Marc K and Dave L were hero’s), restocked the merchandise and even found some additional vendors to bring us a few other “tastes from home”.

It was a busy winter and there are many to thank.First and foremost, all of our commissioners and other volunteers - without their commitment this league wouldn’t exist.Next up, the kids who love the game and the families who support that passion.Amazing – thank you for believing in LS and for being a part of our program.We owe a special thank you too to our sponsors, new and old, as well as to the private donors who have reached out to commit generous gifts to our newly registered charity as well. These charitable contributions will help to fund our growth and subsidize the financial obligations for the broader community.

As we look to kick-off 2016 there are a few things that we wanted to share with you:

The U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Matthew Barzun, will open the ceremonies by throwing out the first pitch at 12:15 on Don Guiney Field.

We have reviewed and updated rules for all leagues – attached – please read

We have added two new age groups to our TT programs: Sr. Girls U18 and Boys 13-15 (Junior’s)

We will send teams in June and September to represent GB in the U12 and U15 Championships

For the fourth year running we will travel abroad to play friendlies and tournaments

We have developed over 20 players that have gone on to play for the Great Britain Baseball Team and Great Britain Softball (girls) Fast Pitch Team

We were busy tasting local grub in the off-season so you will notice new vendor options this year - enjoy

Lastly, and most importantly, sportsmanship. Inappropriate behavior of any kind by players, coaches or fans will not be tolerated

**Every boy in the Minors and Majors is required to wear a protective cup at all times this year**

While there are always some teething issues at the beginning of every season, be it registration confusion, team requests that couldn't be accommodated, equipment issues or other minor snags, we expect this season to be our best ever and ask you to reach out to us if you have questions, comments, concerns or general feedback. We are here for the kids and will do whatever possible to make the experience the most positive and enjoyable for you and for each one of them. After all, in the words of Don Guiney … “this is about more quality time with your kids!” There is nothing better than that.